I don't feel like I am a binge eater, per say. I don't feel out of control or consume large quantities of food in a short time span for no reason. However, I have a problem lately with intentionally eating way past the point when I am full. I can feel when I have had enough food, but I ignore it and continue eating anyway.

One main reason is I do not want to waste the food on my plate. Also, because I really enjoy the food I am eating so I do not want to stop. Another is that I kind of like the way my stomach feels when it is really full. So, I am not sure how to stop this behavior.

Anyone else feel like this? Any tips to stop it?

i can relate...i sometimes keep eating something i love because i feel like "i'll never get to eat this again", but i have to remind myself to enjoy my portion and thats it. extremely hard. i also find that drinking a lot of water with these kinds of meals helps make me feel fuller faster.
would it help to just make yourself a portioned plate and put the rest of it in the fridge? leftovers are always good...
also, i find that just making enough food for myself and my boyfriend helps- that way i only have enough for two people and i won't overeat.

hope this helps

A couple of ideas that might help:

1. Use smaller plates so you have to start with less simply because of room.
2. Don't put your food on the table - meaning, dish up at the stove or someplace else so you will have to consciously get up to have more.
3. If you are at a restaurant, ask for a "to go" box with your plate. Then fill it up with half of your order & put it under your chair.
4. Consider reading "volumetrics" - it is for people who like to eat in large quanitities, but are trying to lose or maintain weight. That was definitely me, so I had to learn about cooking/eating differently. I'm almost always the last one still eating at dinner time, but I probably consume fewer calories than my husband (can't compare to a 4 or 2 year old!).

I also have worked to retrain my brain to think about the benefit of stretching out something good vs. eating it all at once. If you spread it out, you can enjoy it for LOTS of days instead of just 1x. By not making it "off limits", it removes the "I gotta have it" mentality.


Hopefully some of this helps. Best of luck to you!

Nice advice thank you both. The problem with saving leftovers, though, is that I always make an excuse to eat them a few hours later. It is really something I am starting to struggle with.

Oh I feel you! However, I do suffer from BED. I finally stopped taking the leftovers home. I know it's kind of a waste, but I just can't see putting myself in the situation where I know I will fail. It takes a lot of will power and the "want" to change or stop any kind of habit. I would definitely take the advice of the previous posters and good luck!

Then throw them out. Start cooking/buying in individual-sized portions, and if you really want something that you have to make in quantity, just accept that you want it & will discard the rest. Put the "to go" box under your chair & leave it there. No one will notice...I promise.

I totally understand where you are coming from.

I really like that!! I am a sucker for free stuff, eg at a recent running race there were free sample of some posh flapjack bars. So I took 5 or so, thinking I could moderate myself. No no no, I eventually ate 2 1/2 in one sitting because they were there. I don't usually eat/buy/make flapjacks because they send me a bit loco on the cravings front. I then threw out the rest! Phew! Now I realise I was just setting myself up for failure. Thanks for that comment, its a real lightbulb moment!

i would just make food at home, and make it for one. i use a lot of recipes and re-calculate them to make them for 2 instead of 4-6. you can do the same for one person.
i notice that a big trigger for me is having something ready to go in the fridge or freezer that i can just throw in the microwave or eat out of the fridge. so i try not to keep anything too "convenient" (that i really like) around. that way, if i need to snack, the most accessible thing to me is a yogurt or a bowl of cereal- something more benign.
but remember, none of this stuff is easy- i think its awesome that you know your triggers, and what might/might not work for you. this is a journey, and you can definitely do it...it's all about making little decisions and increasing self awareness, and finding ways to not clean the plate and figure out why its so important.

Smaller plates works well. My SO always piled his plate and then got seconds and piled that too!!. Now he's started using a small plate, which holds about half as much. He still fills it twice but eats about 1 of his old plates. It's the mental satisfaction of 2 plates that satisfies him.
Also just cooking less. If my SO is working I'll make a meal for 1. I used to cook enough for 3 meals and eat until I couldn't eat anymore. Now I make one small amount and if I'm still hungry I'll eat a fruit or other healthy snack.
If you need that feeling of being stuffed you should drink a ton of water with a normal portion.

I eat nearly all of my meals from a small bowl. It has really helped me along in my journey. I highly recommend ONE BOWL by Don Gerrard. Changed my relationship to food and eating.